Chapter 21:

Buffy lay in bed staring at her ceiling and thinking. Beside her, Spike lay on his side facing away from her, his body completely motionless. Any normal person would have thought him to be dead, what with the absence of a rising and falling chest and the lack of pigment in his pale skin, but he wasn't dead. He was un-dead to be exact.

Thoughts raced a mile a minute through the Slayer's mind; everything from the two beautiful miracles that were busy trying to punch a whole through the wall of her abdomen, to her dispute with Angel. Though it had been almost three weeks since the night of the party, Buffy had been plagued by a string of continuous questions. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right; but then again, things rarely were in Sunnydale.

A series of soft kicks interrupted her thoughts momentarily.

"Calm it down in there." she demanded of her body in a hushed whisper.

"Luv," Spike asked still motionless, "who are you talking to?"

Buffy smiled, "Your children."

Spike finally turned over, his sapphire eyes connecting with Buffy's own hazel ones. "Oh so now they're my children? No longer ours?"

"Yes, when they cause me pain they remind me of you." Both the vampire and Slayer shared a tiny laugh. Spike absently began tracing circles on the girl's stomach, relishing in the way his babies kicked and punched when he touched them.

"Oh yeah, get them even more riled up." Buffy moaned. "It's not like the pain is a discomfort or anything."

"Sorry Luv." Spike offered a heart felt apology even though he knew the blonde beside him was only teasing.

"Spike?"

"Yeah Luv."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," she said.

Spike sat upright in bed, his face marred with fright. "Oh God." he said in a hushed voice.

"What?" Buffy asked, becoming scared.

"A Slayer thinking, isn't that like a sign of an impending apocalypse?!" A slick smile graced his lips, but was soon wiped off when a perfectly planted fist landed against his chest. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For your smartass remarks." Buffy said with a smile. She lay back down in bed and grabbed her midsection, crying out in pain.

"What's the matter Luv?" Spike inclined his mind automatically switching to red alert.

"I-I think I just had a contraction." Buffy stammered as the pain subsided. She looked up at Spike; he looked paler than usual, if that was even possible.

"Now?!" Spike shouted. Immediately he was out of the bed and around to the opposite side, helping the Slayer to stand up. "You can't have these babies now!" It was more of a command rather than a request, almost as if Spike thought he could actually control the event.

"Spike," Buffy moaned as she found her footing, "I don't really control these things. It's out of my hands, literally!" She began wailing again when she felt a series of sharp kicks.

Dawn burst into her sister's room wondering desperately what all the screaming was about. She had been having a wonderful dream about Brad Pitt when Spike's loud voice woke her up. "You people do know it's like past midnight, right? What the hell is going on?!" she asked only half awake.

"Your niece and nephew decided that now was a good time to see the world." Spike supplied. He was trying to lead Buffy to the doorway, but she was being unbelievably sluggish.

It took Dawn a few minutes to piece together what Spike was saying. Suddenly her face twisted from excited to worried and back to excited. "Oh my God!" she screamed bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Now? Like right now?! Oh my God!"

"Bit, you're gonna need to calm down." Spike scolded her.

"Why?" Dawn asked becoming increasingly excited with every passing second.

"Because if you don't stop jumping around you're going to make me nervous! Now I'm gonna go call the hospital, tell 'em we're on our way, you help your sister get dressed." Spike felt almost like an army officer, giving orders and such. He left the room and the steps two at a time then dashing to the kitchen phone. 'All hell's about to break loose,' he thought as he picked up the phone and quickly dialed the number.

The lights in the Magic Box still burned; there was still life inside the shop. Most people were home at this time of night, asleep in their warm beds. Most people had nothing more to worry about than children, jobs and pets. Most people led normal lives.

Rupert Giles did not.

He was a Watcher and therefore it was his sacred duty to do whatever he could to protect his Slayer. Tonight that meant spending countless hours researching the latest cult to hit Sunnydale: the Guild of Zaranah.

It was nothing new for Giles to hear news of a new demonic cult hitting the streets of Sunnydale. And to hear that their intention was none other than to bring death to the Slayer was even less surprising. The Watcher's heart swelled when he thought of the petite-well once petite-blonde who had become a daughter to him. Her life had been on the line so many times and yet she had always come through; she was truly the strongest of them all.

Though he didn't know much about said cult, from what he and Spike had witnessed in the cemetery that night long ago, he could deduct that this group of-whatever it was that they were-worshipped the savior of the damned: Zaranah. Things had been oddly quiet in the past few weeks, which should have calmed Giles's nerved, but it only succeeded in making him tenser.

Only mere hours ago had he put together part of the riddle: Two of the two that never should be. Which, when translated, Giles felt was suggesting a connection to the twins. His insides lurched at the thought that these children growing and thriving inside his Slayer were evil, or that they were in any sort of danger.

The shrill sound of the phone ringing reluctantly drug Giles from his previous thoughts. "Who is possibly calling here at this hour?" he wondered aloud. Clutching the cream-colored device in his hand, the Watcher raised it to his ear and listened for a moment.

".I'll be right there Bit." He heard a familiar voice call.

"Spike?" His voice was a mixture of amusement that Spike would resort to calling him for any reason, and a tad on the worried side. If Spike was calling him chances were something was wrong-something concerning Buffy.

"Watcher," Spike snapped to attention, "got a little surprise for you."

Willow never knew she could run so fast. 'Maybe I should have gone out for the track team in high school.' She thought dryly. White, sterile walls rushed passed her as the red head made her way through Sunnydale Memorial Hospital; her girlfriend trailed a few steps behind her.

Seeing a large sign hanging from the ceiling that read Reception Desk, Willow skidded to a halt.

"Maternity ward?" she asked hurriedly.

A younger woman with long black hair pointed her towards to elevators. "Third floor and to the right." she instructed her.

"Thanks." Willow called back as she and Tara dashed for the elevator.

"You know.we don't really have.to rush." Tara managed while trying to catch her breath.

"Buffy's in labor Tara." Willow stated rather matter-of-factly. She was nervously watched the blinking light as it ran up the elevator wall, illuminating a new number with every passing floor.

"She could be in labor for hours, sweetie." Tara pointed out as the cold metal doors slid apart revealing yet another sterile white hallway.

"She could?" Willow asked feeling a little embarrassed. It was true, she didn't really know much about childbirth. Only what she and Tara had watched on the discovery channel one morning at 4:00 a.m. when neither of them could sleep.

"Yes." Tara said and quickly added, "This could even be false labor pains."

"They aren't false." a voice said causing Willow and Tara to jump.

"Dawnie." Willow said giving the youngest Scooby a quick hug.

"How is she?" Tara asked.

"Doctor said everything was fine. Spike asked me to come out here and wait for you guys. She's down in room 344." The girl pointed to her left.

The Wiccas started walking but stopped after a few steps.

"Aren't you coming?" Willow asked, noticing that Dawn hadn't moved with them.

"Gotta wait for Xander and Anya," she informed them. "I'll be in as soon as they get here."

"Ok." Tara said with a genuine smile before sprinting to catch up with her girlfriend who was already to Buffy's door.

Spike sat in the corner of the hospital room massaging his hand. Flexing it, the vampire felt a number of bones snap back into place. "Blood hell Slayer." he cursed as the pain shot through his hand and up his arm. Buffy had grabbed his hand during a particularly strong contraction and nearly smashed every one of his bones. Spike soundlessly thanked the Gods that h healed quickly.

"Big baby." Buffy teased. "I'm the one in real pain here." She was lying in yet another hospital bed. A nurse had brought her a gown to change into and then left, the doctor returning in her place to do a check up. Everything was fine.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was a complication in delivery.

"Oh Buffy." A wavering voice called from the doorway. Buffy snapped to attention, seeing Willow and Tara standing there. The red headed witch ran to her bedside and threw her arms around her best friend. "You look so beautiful."

"Oh yeah, because this is the cutest damn thing I own." Buffy pulled at the tacky paper clothing and laughed.

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked.

"Well aside from the horrific contractions and the constant whining from William the Bloody," the Slayer jested, pointing her laughter at Spike, "I'm just dandy!"

Willow was about to add another comment when Buffy's face twisted in pain. "Oh God what's wrong?!" the witch cried, panicking.

"Nothing's the matter." Giles informed them. "It's just another contraction. We'd be helping her through the pain but that's already been proven a bad idea." To signify his point, Giles held up his right hand, which had been shielded from view by the bed; only to reveal a new, plaster white cast.

"Oh wow." Tara gasped.

Buffy calmed her breathing and rejoined the conversation. "Look," she said in an apologetic tone, "I already said I was sorry-twice! And you of all people should know better."

"Very well," Giles admitted in a rather British tone, "Best get this show on the road."

Time had stopped. Neither of those annoying, little, black hands had moved a centimeter. Spike sat in the hospital waiting room, his skin tingling with anticipation, his last nerves buzzing. He couldn't take the waiting. 'I should be in there!' he thought bitterly, cursing the doctor that said he looked pale and feared he might pass out.

A million nurses, doctors, and the like had walked past the rough assembly of people gathered in the blue upholstered seats. Xander sat in a corner seat biting his nails, Anya snug in his lap. Giles and Tara sat a few seats down quietly discussing everyday topics. Dawn was pacing like a madman in front of the lustrous metal doors.

"What's taking so long?" she asked.

"Bit, calm down." Spike ordered. He knew if he watched the girl pace any longer, nausea was bound to set in.

"How can you be so calm?" Dawn asked the vampire, staring him down. "Aren't you even the least bit worried that-" She was cut off before she could finish when the broad doors swing open and Willow came trotting out. She'd been the only one to stay with Buffy through the delivery since Spike wasn't allowed and the Slayer didn't think that Dawn would be able to handle it.

"How is she?" Dawn asked quickly before anyone else could get a word in.

"Everyone's fine." Willow said with an immense smile.

"How are they?" Spike asked and then clarified, "I mean are they all- bumpy."

"I don't know." She told the quickly gathering crowd.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Spike asked becoming almost angry. His worst fear was that the twins would be weird in some way; half vampire, half Slayer, or some such.

"Well I didn't look."

"Why the hell not?" he demanded.

"Because I decided that you and Buffy should be the first to see the little angels." The witch added, earning a grin from everyone including Spike.

The vampire took a step towards her and cupping her face gently in his hands kissed her cheek lightly. "I knew there was a reason I liked you." He whispered in her ear before disappearing behind her.

The room was bright, almost too bright, but none of that mattered now. As Buffy stared down at the little bundles lying in her arms, her heart melted. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing except them; not Slaying, not the Hellmouth, not another apocalypse. A single tear ran down the Slayer's cheek as she stared at her children and she silently wished that her mother could see them.

"God mom you would love them so much." She said in a whisper.

If it was at all possible the room grew brighter. "Geez what is up with the lighting?" she laughed. In her arm, Audra's mouth opened wide as a tiny yawn racked her system. "Is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen?" Buffy asked no one.

"It really is." A voice answered. Buffy looked up expecting to see Dawn or Willow standing there, but what she saw took her breath away.

Before Buffy stood her mom, Joyce Summers. She looked just as she did before she had died. Her chestnut hair was curled and laying on her shoulders, her face was beautiful not a mark, just the way she remembered it. The only thing that was off was the bright glowing essence that seemed to surround the older woman.

"M-mom?" Buffy stared, unblinking.

"Yes, dear." Joyce answered. She moved across the room with a cat-like grace until she was standing beside her daughter. "Oh Buffy they're gorgeous."

"Where? How?" Buffy couldn't help but stumble through the words.

"I don't know." Joyce admitted. "I was watching and suddenly I'm here." She leaned down and wiped a stray tear from her daughter's face. "Sweetie, I want you to know that I'm always watching over you and Dawn, even Spike. And know I've got these little wonders to watch too."

"I've missed you so much." Buffy blurted feeling fresh tears race down her cheek.

"Me too honey." The older woman added. "I'm sorry I can't stay, but you no longer need me."

"I always need you."

"You've got everything you need right here." With one final glance at her first grandchildren, Joyce Summers began to fade into nothing. "Don't let them out of your sight, Buffy. Cherish them and love them."

"Don't-" she pleaded, but it was no use, her mother was already gone.

"Luv?" Spike called as he walked into the room.

"Spike." She said simply.

As he came closer to her, his eyes finally fell onto the two babies. "Oh my God." Spike gasped. It was the first time since he'd been turned that the vampire had called out to a man that used to govern his entire way of life. Well other than when he and Buffy were-enjoying other activities. Such activities that were responsible for these two. "They're perfect."

"I know." Buffy agreed. She handed her children to their father, immediately missing the feel of them in her arms.

Spike couldn't believe it. These tiny thing, tiny people, were his. They were his doing and his responsibility. His face lit up like a kid at Christmas and a single tear ran down his cheek. "Hi." He said in a gentle voice, "I'm your da."

Part 22:

Chapter 23:

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Dawn screamed. Her once sleeping body was racked with a feeling of dread and hopelessness and her skin plagued with goose bumps. Throwing her arms frantically, the youngest member of the Scooby Gang was jostled from her bed and landed on the floor with a resounding thud.

Willow was at her bedroom door in seconds. "Dawn? Dawnie what's the matter?"

But she couldn't answer her friend's question; all Dawn could do was shake and scream. "God no! Please no! Oh God!" Pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them tightly, she began to rock. "Please God, don't let it happen. Stop them, stop them!"

Willow rushed to her side, scooping the girl in her arms and pulling her tightly against her own body. "Dawnie what's the matter? Don't let what happen? Please Dawn, you're scaring me."

"What's the matter?" Giles asked. He, Tara, and Spike had all appeared in the doorway seconds before, just in time to watch Dawn's hysterical behavior.

"I don't know, I heard a sound and she was in here screaming," Willow explained.

"I can see them. Please don't hurt them." Dawn cried.

Spike kneeled in front of the shaking girl and braced his hands on her shoulders. "Who can you see, Bit?" He'd never seen the girl act like this and it was beginning to worry him.

"The twins," Dawn blurted, "They're gone. They took them!"

Silence fell on the room as every mind struggled to grasp what was said. Someone had taken the twins? Kidnapped them? How could this have happened?

"W-what?" Tara stuttered.

"Shit," Spike breathed, jumping to his feet he dashed out of the room and down the steps taking them two at a time. He hit the bottom and grabbing his blanket that lay on the banister, was out the door.

"What should we do?" Willow asked, her voice was shaky and tears threatened to spill out down her cheeks.

"You two stay here and take care of Dawn," Giles instructed, "I'm heading to the hospital with Spike." Without another word he was out of the room. The sound of the front door slamming quickly followed.

"What do we do?" Tara asked. She kneeled on the other side of Dawn's body and looked to Willow.

"Help me get her onto the bed." Together the two witched hoisted to girl onto the bed and laid her head gently on the pillows.

"Willow?" Dawn breathed. She blinked her eyes several times before her vision focused on the red head in front of her. It was like she had been pulled out of a trance. Everything came rushing into her field of vision at once.

"Dawnie are you okay?" Tara asked.

"I can see it all. The twins.someone took them." Tears were streaming down the younger girl's face and onto her shirt.

"How can you see it?"

"I don't know. I've been having these visions. I can see things before they happen." Dawn sat upright in the bed and dropped her head into her hands. "I saw Buffy in the alley, just before we all found out that she was pregnant. I saw the cult people doing some kind of ritual. I saw the twins being taken somewhere by these guys. I don't know where, but they were crying and there were lots of them. All in black cloaks." Fresh tears began to seep through her fingers.

"We've got to d-do something." Tara whispered to her girlfriend.

"Let's get to the Magic Box. We can do a locator spell," Willow suggested.

"What about Giles and Spike? Shouldn't we let them know?"

Willow stood from the bed and helped the crying Dawn to her feet. "We'll contact them once we get there. Let's go."

It was a good thing that Spike didn't have to breathe, because he had run down the street to the nearest sewer entrance and kept running until he was back at University Hospital. The mechanical doors slid out of the way just in time as the bleached blonde came barreling through the front doors and took an immediate left. Up three flights of steps and down a long corridor he ran without ever stopping for a breath. Nurses and doctors alike jumped out of his way shouting at the vampire's retreating form.

By the time that he got to Buffy's room, she was already dressed. She stopped dead in her tracks when he burst through the door. "Spike," she cried and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

He ran to her, getting there just as her legs gave out and the Slayer crumpled to the floor. "It's all right luv," Spike pulled her body tightly against his own and stroked her blonde locks gently. Both vampire and slayer sank to the floor in a heap.

"They're.gone," she managed to sputter between sobs.

"I know," Spike said.

Buffy pulled away and looked up at him. "H-how do you know?"

"Niblet, she could-" Spike searched for the right word, "I guess she can see things." Pushing himself to his feet, Spike lifted Buffy to hers and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Come on," he pulled her towards the door.

"We need to go back to the house and get weapons." They were almost to the door when Giles burst through carrying a large black bag.

"I've got weapons," he announced. "Tara, Willow and Dawn are headed to the Magic Box to do a locator spell. We should regroup there before heading out."

"Agreed," Spike mumbled pushing passed the Watcher and storming the hallway.

"Buffy are you all right?" Giles asked as the girl followed Spike.

"I'll be better when I've got them back in my arms," she said simply and left her hospital room, Giles in tow. None of the staff even realized they had vacated.

Willow and Tara were in the back room setting up for the locator spell while Anya and Xander stayed with Dawn in the shop. The poor girl had been so shaken by her vision that she'd done nothing but stare into space and cry.

"Are we ready?" Tara asked as she sprinkled the last bit of sand on the training room floor.

Willow looked around nervously. Normally doing a locator spell would seem like child's play to the highly advanced Wicca, but with everything that was happening, she was much more skeptical. "I think so," she went over the checklist in her mind one last time and, satisfied that everything had been taken care of, took a seat in the inner circle. Tara took a seat across from her. They two witched linked hands and began the spell.

"Blood of blood, heart of heart," Tara whispered over and over again.

"Taken without consent, lost amongst the crowd," Willow chanted while sprinkling a mixture of ingredients over a map of Sunnydale that was spread between the two. "Reveal to us the hiding place, reveal to us to resting place."

"Blood of blood, heart of heart," Tara echoed a little louder than before.

"Reveal!" Suddenly a bright, green light appeared in the center of the room, hovering inches above the girls. Their hands tightened together as a strong wind swept through the room causing the few candles that the spell required to blow out. But as suddenly as it had all started, the wind and light were gone, leaving only darkness to fill the room.

"Did it work?" Tara asked, her voice just above a whisper.

Willow dropped her girlfriend's hands and stared down at the map. It had been blown out of place by the wind, and by turning it right side up again she revealed a small patch of light surrounding a tiny portion of the map.

"It worked," she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Grabbing the map she rose to her feet and bolted for the door, Tara only steps behind her.

"Dawn listen to me," Buffy kneeled in front of her younger sister and took the girl's head in her hands, "this is not your fault."

"Yes it is," Dawn argued, "It's all my fault if I would have just told someone-"

"You couldn't have known, Bit." Spike sat next to the crying girl on the couch and draped an arm around her shoulders. Before either Buffy or Spike could get another word in, Tara and Willow came in from the backroom, the latter carrying a large piece of paper.

"Did you find them?" Buffy asked shooting to her feet. She followed Willow to the table and watched as the witch spread the paper out revealing a black and white map of Sunnydale. "What do we got, Will?"

"See this light? This is what the spell did; it found the twins using their auras. Good for us that these two have very strong spirits." She shared a momentary smile with Buffy before turning back to the task at hand. "They're hauled up in this warehouse here," she pointed to the rectangular outline around the glowing light. "It's surrounded by other warehouses, most of which are empty just sitting there. I figured we could go in at all sides."

"That'll work," Buffy said offhandedly staring at the paper. "Spike will come in from the north; Xander, you and Giles come from the south; Willow and Tara, the west end and I'll come from the east. We'll block off all exits and surround them."

"What about me?" a small voice asked. Everyone turned to find Dawn sitting on the couch, eyes swollen red from crying.

"You're staying here with Anya," Buffy told her.

"I want to come, I wanna help."

"Dawn," Buffy sighed but when she looked at her little sister all thoughts of argument fled her mind. The woman sitting in front of her wasn't the little sister she'd thought of as a pain; she had grown up. Her face read of nothing but determination and strength. Dawn wasn't taking no for an answer. "Fine," Buffy nodded, "You can come with me, and Anya," she nodded to the former demon, "you go with Spike."

Without another word, the Slayer got up from her seat around the table and walked to the backroom door. "We'll go at sundown, be ready." Then she disappeared into the darkness of the room.

Spike decided to give Buffy a little time alone to sort out her thoughts before he barged in on her. They had another hour till sunset, so he figured now was the best time to talk to her.

Poking his head inside the room Spike noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The vaulting horse sat in one corner, the couch opposite it, and the punching bag hung motionless from the ceiling.

'Where is she?' he wondered. Taking a few steps into the room, Spike looked for the familiar face of the woman he loved, finally finding her standing by the window. Careful to avoid the sunlight that poured through the opened blinds, Spike crept up behind Buffy and slid his arms around her waist.

"Spike," she sighed, leaning back into his embrace.

"Shhh," he whispered, "I'm here, luv."

"Spike I'm so scared," Buffy admitted. She never looked back at the creature holding her, just continued to stare out the window.

"Of what?" Spike asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Me," she answered.

"What?" Spike asked astonished. "How can you be afraid of yourself?"

"I'm not. I'm afraid of what I'm doing to the kids." Turning around, Buffy noticed the utter confusion marring Spike's face. She continued, "I'm afraid of what they'll turn out to be. And I don't just mean part vampire. Spike," she began walking towards the couch, "they'll never be normal. These kids.our kids, they'll never have a normal life."

"Not quite sure I follow you, luv." Spike took a seat on the couch and motioned for her to join him.

"It'll be a life filled with demons and death and apocalypse and.it'll be the life I hate." She stopped and took a breath trying to fend off the tears that clouded her vision. "I've always hated being the Slayer; always wished for a life other than this one. I didn't care what kind of life, just as long as it wasn't this one. And now.now I've dumped the same life on my children." As hard as she tried to fight them, the tears welling in her eyes were too much for even Buffy to contain. As they spilled down her cheeks, Spike wiped them away.

"Buffy, you are the most amazing person I've ever met." He desperately searched his mind for the words to put to his feelings. "If you weren't the Slayer, I don't even care to think about what would have happened. I would never have found you, never fallen in love with you, and we would never have the two beautiful miracles that we have. Luv," he grasped her hands in his own, "I love you with everything that is me, and I promise you that we will get them back."

A small smile spread across Buffy's lips. Moving her hands to the sides of Spike's head, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him. Their lips met in a fury of emotions, both having so much to say to the other but not having the time. When the two blondes finally pulled apart, both were gasping for breath, one out of survival need, the other out of habit.

"You promise?" Buffy asked, her voice no louder than a whisper.

"Promise."

Part 24:

As soon as the sun set over southern California the Scooby Gang was on the move. The sign in the Magic Box window now read Closed and every light was turned off. Weapons in hand and game faces on, Giles, Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, Spike, Dawn, and Buffy took to the streets.

The warehouses were merely four blocks to the west of the magic shop. It wasn't long before the towering buildings rose before them.

"Alright," Buffy paused and addressed the group, "Everyone stays together. Get in and get out, don't be trying anything stupid. Ready?" Everyone nodded. "Let's do this."

Brother Gerard had been waiting for this moment his entire life. Soon his leader would walk to Earth and he would be at his right hand side. He watched as the lower brothers brought forth the candles and set them near the Alter. Finally the time had come. As Gerard watched his fellow leaders, Brother Thomas and Brother Angelo followed the younger members, each carrying a tiny bundle in his arms.

"The children," Brother Gerard whispered. He could sense the power that the two infants held despite their tender age. The creatures had yet to live a full day, but already their time had come. "Bring them to me."

Heeding his order, Brother Angelo and Brother Thomas brought the crying children forward and laid them into separate baskets. Both bowed before stepping on and off of the Alter as a sign of respect.

Gerard dipped his hand into a vat of oils and proceeded to draw similar markings on each of the child's foreheads. These were the signs of Zaranah, and would ensure that when the dark Lord arose he would know the sacrifice. Grabbing a fairly large, ancient looking volume, Gerard began to recite the sacred passages to Zaranah's summoning.

But before he could finish the first word, windows shattered and doors busted open. The Slayer and her band of friends were in the building.

"Slayer," Gerard hissed.

"And-you," Buffy's eyes scanned the room. There must have been thirty or more figures, each clothed in long, dark robes with hoods covering most of their faces. A small platform had been erected in the center of the warehouse, surrounded with candles and torches. In the middle of the platform, on either side of the creepy robed guy, were two baskets.

"I must admit, Slayer, I didn't think it would take this long for you to come," he taunted her. Gerard knew that this would anger the Slayer.

"What can I say?" Buffy asked offhandedly. "I needed to take a quick nap."

Before another word was spoken the fight broke out.

Giles, Xander, and Dawn were keeping busy with a group of cloaked occultists. They seemed to be holding their own as well as taking most of them down. Both men made an effort to keep one eye on Dawn and make sure she wasn't being slaughtered.

Spike and Anya were doing well fighting off their opponents, though it was mostly Spike doing the fighting. Anya stood a few feet back yelling helpful comments to the vampire and occasionally swinging a battle-ax at anyone who came near her.

Willow and Tara had decided that a protection spell on the twins would be the best use of their abilities. They stood just out of the fight, chanting something; the words were lost in the sound of the battle.

Buffy made a straight line for the babies, knocking out people left and right. She was at the Alter in seconds flat, crossbow in hand.

"I've been waiting for this," Brother Gerard smiled wickedly.

"You've been waiting for me to kick your ass?" Buffy asked. "Okay, have it your way." She leapt into the air and landed a swift kick to Gerard's chest, sending the man stumbling backwards. Landing in a defensive stance, Buffy attacked again landing punches to his face and stomach.

Gerard stumbled backwards, clutching his abdomen. "You are a formidable opponent, Slayer, but you are no match for Zaranah. For he will come to this plain, ridding it of every form a humanity."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard this all before." Buffy whined. "Why don't you guys think up some new ploy? This is really getting old." She moved to attack again when Spike was suddenly at her side. Buffy risked a glance towards the vampire. He smiled in return.

"He is the other," Brother Gerard shouted, "He is the other."

"What the bloody hell are you yappin about?" Spike shot, glaring at the man. His monstrous features had faded, bringing his human mask to the forefront.

"The two of you," he pointed to Buffy and Spike, "complete the prophecy. Everything is in line." Abruptly, the ground began to shake, racked with tremors from an unknown source. Pillars topped with candles wobbled, spilling to the ground. Windows shattered, glass spraying everywhere.

Buffy reached for Spike who grasped her hand tightly, steadying themselves against the quaking ground. Looking around, Buffy noticed that everyone seemed to be all right. Willow and Tara were still working their spell; Anya had joined Xander; and Giles was holding Dawn, keeping her from falling.

"It is time!" Brother Gerard shouted, tossing his hands into the air. The other cloaked figures echoed his cry with great triumph. "Zaranah will rise!"

A great burst of fire erupted from the ground, splitting the cement and melting it. An otherworldly scream sounded from within the flame and a horrifying face came into view. Blue, scaly skin surrounded two, huge, colorless eyes, a long, pointed nose and a large mouth. Hoofed claws struck at something unseen and a bulky, spiked tail swiped at invisible opponents.

"Oh man," Buffy breathed, her gaze never leaving the flame; she was mesmerized.

"This should be fun," Spike hissed sarcastically. Instinctively both he and Buffy dropped back into battle stances, ready to face whatever this demon dished out.

"Buffy!" Giles bellowed from the sidelines.

"A little busy here Watcher," Spike chided.

Giles ignored Spike's comment, "Buffy, destroy the book! It holds his power!"

Without having time to fully digest the information, she moved. Spike leapt at Brother Gerard, knocking him to the ground and out of the way. Buffy dodged candles and small fires, finally getting close enough to lay her hands on the musty, old volume. Without a second thought she heaved the book into the wall of flame that housed the creature. A loud cry rose from the fire's depths, the sound of someone, or something, dying. The ground shook violently, dropping a large candle onto the wooden Alter. It ignited immediately.

"Spike, grab her!" Buffy ordered pointing to the basket closest to him. She rushed over to the other and gently pulled her son free of the blankets inside. Making sure that Spike and Audra were with them, Buffy and her entire family fled from the burning building.

"You have ruined everything!" Brother Gerard called out to them.

Buffy paused in the doorway. "Sorry," she smirked before turning and leaving for good.

Once outside Buffy and Spike were met with a plethora of questions and hugs.

"Are you guys okay? Are the babies okay?" Dawn asked hurriedly.

"We're fine," Spike responded.

"I think they're okay too," Buffy added nodding to the crying infant in her arms. Dawn quickly took William out of her arms and began bouncing and talking to him.

"Are you sure you're all right, Buffy?" Giles asked. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. Without a word the Slayer threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you so much," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For being there," Buffy unlocked her arms and took a step back, "You've been like a father to me, and I have no idea what I would have done without you here. Thank you so much for never giving up, for always believing in me. It's what kept me alive all these years."

Giles blinked rapidly, several times to keep the tears from flowing. This girl, a person whom he was supposed to train and tutor had developed into such a strong, determined woman. She'd been like a daughter to him, and now he had something he'd always wanted: grandchildren.

"You're quite welcome, Elizabeth." He smiled warmly at her. "Now, shall we head home?"

"Amen to that!" Xander cheered.

"Home, sleep." Willow added.

"Yes," Buffy sighed, "home sounds very good right about now."

~Epilogue~

"Catch me!" William cried.

"Get back here you little sneak!" Dawn yelled. She chased the wobbling three year old down the hall and halfway down the steps. Will let out a shrill scream when his aunt caught him.

"Dawn, what are you doing to him?" Buffy laughed.

"I'm just gonna tickle him to death!" Dawn giggled. She'd only been home for ten minutes before she'd been suckered into a game of 'hide and go seek'.

The Slayer stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room watching her son and her sister. It still amazed her that Dawn was in college; she was almost nineteen. It seemed like just yesterday she was getting thrown into detention for missing school. Boy how things changed.

"Mommy," a sleepy voice called. Buffy spun to find Audra standing in the hallway rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Hi honey," Buffy purred, "Did you have a nice nap?" Audra nodded climbing into her mother's waiting arms. "Where's you father?"

"Sleeping," Audra said pointing to the basement.

"Oh I see," Buffy smiled, "guess who's here? Aunt Dawnie."

"Really?" the little girl asked excitedly.

"She's in the living room playing with your brother, why don't you go tell them that dinner is almost ready."

"Ok." Audra slipped from Buffy's grasp and dashed into the living room.

Buffy turned back to her cooking when she noticed a certain peroxide blonde standing in the basement doorway. "Morning sleepy head."

"Mornin luv," Spike yawned wrapping his arms around her waist. "Did I miss dinner?"

"Nope it's almost ready," she motioned to the stove, "why don't you get Dawn and the kids in here."

"Bit's here?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, she doesn't have classes until Tuesday."

Before Spike could respond there was a loud knock at the front door. "I'll get it!" Dawn yelled from the living room. Seconds later she appeared in the kitchen carrying a small box wrapped in brown paper.

"What's that?" Spike asked.

"I don't know," Dawn answered, "I answered the door but there was no one there. The tag says it's for you." She pushed the box towards Spike.

Looking a little confused, Spike picked up the box and weighed it with his hands. Deciding it posed not threat he tore the paper open and lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a letter, it read:

Spike, Don't say I never gave you anything. Peaches.

"What is it?" Buffy asked peering over his shoulder.

Spike picked the ring out of the box with a grin and slipped it onto his finger.

"Is that-?"

"Yeah," Spike smirked, "the Gem of Amara."

~THE END~

Okay.I know that Angel destroyed the ring, but hey it's my world and I'll do what I want, lol.